from New Canadian Poetry, 2000

late september pear

She said,
but is his voice music to you

I said
his skin is the sweet of late september pear

yes, but is his voice music to you

I said, his skin is the sweet of
late september pear, and kissing him
is like kissing silence and if
music is very, very, very good at
the very end you can feel
its silence inside your body.

- mary elizabeth grace